rehearse
/ɹɪˈhɝs/verb
rehearse is spelled R-E-H-E-A-R-S-E: 8 letters and 2 syllables. It appears about once in every 1 million words in written English, the 31,168th most frequent word form (wordfreq, 2021 data). As a verb, rehearse means “To repeat, as what has been already said; to tell over again; to recite” (English Wiktionary, September 2026).
How many letters and syllables are in rehearse?
| Letters | 8: R-E-H-E-A-R-S-E |
|---|---|
| Syllables | 2 (from its American pronunciation) |
| In writing | about once in every 1 million words; the 31,168th most frequent word form |
| Wrong spellings searched | none measured in search |
| Rhymes with |
Sources: letters and syllables from the English Wiktionary's hyphenation or pronunciation and the CMU Pronouncing Dictionary; written frequency: wordfreq 3.1 (a 2021 snapshot of Wikipedia, subtitles, news, books, web text and social media); rhymes and same-letter words are computed by PlainSpell from its own word list.
How common is rehearse?
Rehearse appears about once in every 1 million words in written English, the 31,168th most frequent word form in the list.
Source: written frequency: wordfreq 3.1 (a 2021 snapshot of Wikipedia, subtitles, news, books, web text and social media).
How do you pronounce rehearse?
- UK [ɹɪˈhɜːs]
- US /ɹɪˈhɝs/
Rehearse has 2 syllables (counted from its American pronunciation in the CMU Pronouncing Dictionary).
Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract). Recordings: LL-Q1860_(eng)-Vealhurl-rehearse.wav, Wikimedia Commons (author and licence on each file's page).
What rhymes with rehearse?
The 12 most written words on PlainSpell end in the same sounds as rehearse from its last stressed vowel (/ɜɹs/):
Computed by PlainSpell from the pronunciations in the English Wiktionary (dump of September 2, 2026): a rhyme shares every sound from the last stressed vowel to the end; ordered by written frequency (wordfreq 3.1).
Forms of rehearse
- rehearses present, singular, he/she/it
- rehearsing participle, present
- rehearsed participle, past
Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract).
What does rehearse mean?
The meanings the English Wiktionary records, quoted as written there (source below).
verb
- 1
To repeat, as what has been already said; to tell over again; to recite.
There’s no need to rehearse the same old argument; we’ve heard it before, and we all agree.
- 2
To narrate; to relate; to tell; to recount.
The witness rehearsed the events of the night before for the listening detectives.
- 3
To practise by recitation or repetition in private for experiment and improvement, prior to a public representation, especially in theater.
The main actors spent on average two hours a day rehearsing before the first night.
- 4
To cause to rehearse; to instruct by rehearsal.
The director rehearsed the cast incessantly in the days leading up to opening night, and as a result they were tired and cranky when it arrived.
- 5
To contrive and carefully prepare (a story, etc.) to offer consistency.
The Crown argued that the accused had rehearsed her story.
Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract).
Rehearse in Spanish, French, German and Portuguese
| Language | Words |
|---|---|
| French | rabâcher, ressasser , répéter |
| German | wiederholen , üben, proben , erzählen |
| Portuguese | repetir , ensaiar , contar |
| Spanish | repetir , practicar, ensayar, emprimar (disused) , contar |
Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract). Translations are Wiktionary's, by sense; a linked word has its own PlainSpell page.
Where does rehearse come from?
From Middle English rehersen, from Anglo-Norman reherser (“to repeat word-for-word”).
Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract).